Every July 1, Canadians across the country celebrate Canada Day. On Saturday, July 1, 2017, we celebrated our 150th anniversary since our confederation. This is our annual opportunity to show the world who we are, and what we stand for.
Our 150th was by no means meant to narrow down Canada’s history to just the past 150 years, or claim to a consistent identity since then. Our human beginnings extend much further into the past then that, originating with our First Nations People’s rich history & ways of life.
Even since our confederation in 1867, where we nearly named ourselves the Kingdom of Canada instead of our current Dominion of Canada, nine of our current thirteen provinces and territories have joined (please be our 14th, Turks & Caicos). Canada fought under it’s own unit for the first time in 1914 during World War I. It chose it’s iconic Maple Leaf flag in 1965. We repatriated our constitution from Britain in 1982. We are a constantly evolving identity trying to move forwards in the right direction.
In my humble opinion, Canada is the greatest country on earth. Being the most diverse developed country in the world is a beacon of hope to others who dream of a real life near-utopian society. It provides the best chance for somebody to find a place to fit in and call it their new home.
But we’re not perfect either. If we were, we would not be able to easily imagine a utopia different from our reality, or challenge ourselves to do better. However, we’re always working on it. Even though it’s been over 150 years, we still have much work to do to ensure minorities, and especially Indigenous people live an equal quality of life, and feel like equally respected members of society.
“In a perfect world, you don’t need a utopia. I challenge, in the history of nation states, to find any other country that’s tried to get it right as much as Canada has. Just even in the act of trying to get it right, is the right thing to do.”
— Mike Myers, Canadian Actor, 2016
There are many countries that do particular things better than Canada, that we can learn from places like Switzerland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, & Monaco, to name a few just in Europe alone. More specifically for example, Costa Rica has a far better environmental record than Canada, running at virtually 100% renewable energy, with a recycling program so phenomenal, there is nearly no need for garbage bins.
We are not the United States or the United Kingdom, and can no longer accurately be described as the best of things between the two, though we remain good friends. There’s enough of a difference that as a Canadian, you can register culture shock when traveling to one of these two countries. My goal is to more intimately introduce you to what our own distinct identity is.
A Country of Firsts
With the advent of planes, and the internet, humans of the world have grown from small community members to being global citizens. With the race to Mars, it won’t be long until we start to become celestial citizens too.
Being part of a larger community with greater differences calls for better strategies to get along with each other, to make peace, and to ensure everyone gets a fair chance at life. I’m proud to say that Canada leads the world on many of these social issues.
Women can freely & legally: vote, run for office, drive, go out on their own, chose who to marry, take time off to have a baby, and even walk around topless. Sexual equality benefits both women & men.
Same sex marriage has been legal for over a decade, official sex changes are legal, and gay couples have the same legal rights as straight couples. Love always trumps hate.
All Canadian citizens of all ethnicities have the same legal rights, and bring their unique rich cultural backgrounds to form a cohesive Canadian identity. Diversity is our strength.
All religions are legally held on equal grounds. It’s not uncommon for people of various religions to celebrate a different religious holiday than their own, with their friends. There is a mutual respect for one another’s religious autonomy. Peace & kindness in both thoughts & actions.
Marijuana will be legal to purchase for recreational use nation-wide in 1 years time (so… we’ll see you next year then?). It has already been legal for medical use for awhile. I would like to see full drug decriminalization, especially after the United Nations & World Health Organization have recommended all countries do so.
We even have nude beaches.
Geography
Plentiful resources, which, when it comes down to it, means a low population density and efficient use of resources are one of the biggest keys to a successful society. This includes free & easy access to fresh water, sanitation, & education, and cheap & easy access to things like food, housing, & transportation. So you can imagine, when I’ve traveled to Europe, I was put out every time when glasses of tap water, and use of a washroom facility were not free.
By land and water, Canada is the 2nd largest country in the world, though it gets increasingly more challenging to live the further north you go; the strong majority of Canadians live within 160 km of the US border.
We have the second-largest impact crater in the world in Ontario, called the Sudbury Basin. Wasaga Beach on Lake Huron in Ontario is the longest fresh-water beach in the world (14km). Canada is also home to Niagara falls, the best known waterfall on the planet, and the best side to view it from at that.
These are just some of the top highlights from Ontario. There is so much more to see and explore in our country.
Culture
Canadians speak French, English, and/or a First Nations language, but in addition, being a world community, many other languages are spoken informally throughout the country.
We are known internationally for our kindness and politeness. I just call this the be a good person to everyone else mentality. I realize how much I take this for granted when I travel to some other countries, because to me, it seems like something people everywhere should just do naturally. As a demonstration of this reputation, there is an island between Greenland (Denmark) and Canada that our two countries have been fighting over it’s sovereignty since 1973… by leaving a bottle of Danish Snapps, or Canadian Whiskey for the other country.
“We are more than gentile of civilized. We are an idea in the process of being realized. We are young. We have cultures strung together, then woven into a tapestry, and the design is what makes us more than the sum totals of our history. We are an experiment going right for a change… We are the True North, strong, and free. And what’s more is we didn’t just say it, we made it be.”
— Shane Koyczan, 2015
Canadians accept each others differences, and treat each other like family. We have more in common than we don’t, yet still each bring our own uniqueness. Often you’ll find the Canadian community comes together to celebrate, mourn, or help out.
Like any other potentially fatal activity, such as driving, we’ve made guns a privilege, not a right. Switzerland has done this too, albeit in a very different way. Like car accidents, this doesn’t completely prevent gun violence, but it drastically and most certainly reduces more then the strategy of having everyone locked & loaded in case the UK invades us.
In terms of cars, not driving at all would reduce car accidents to near zero. This is similar to Japan’s gun policy, but I think this would be too restrictive. If it wasn’t as easy to get a gun in the USA, I estimate this violence rate would be reduced tenfold, as more than 70% of illegal firearms in Canada come from there.
Education
Canada is one of two countries in the world in which more than 50% of the working age population (25–65) hold a post-secondary education degree or diploma, second only to Russia. In addition to our immigration policies, this success is due to our public, secular universities & colleges, which ensure affordability & diversity of thought.
Our top notch education is increasingly drawing the smartest people to study in Canada, in search of their best possible future. Everyone’s favorite entrepreneur, Elon Musk (Paypal, SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, OpenAI, Boring Company), came from South Africa to study at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Once graduated, Canadian alumni are some of the most sought after talent in the world. For example, University of Waterloo students are the second most hired from in Silicon Valley, second only to UC Berkley, but ahead of all ivy league schools. Many Canadian alumni chose to stay though, or eventually return to Canada, where we are trying to build an equivalent Quantum Valley.
Having an intelligent population helps us better imagine & debate ideas, make informed decisions, create new products & services, and stay competitive globally.
Health
Like education, our health care system is for the most part free, and affordable when it is not. This is something Canadians are very proud, and protective of. You can’t easily talk about health care without addressing how it is paid for though.
Social services like these are possible due to a progressive tax system that asks for more from the rich, & big corporations. If developed countries like the G20 stopped compete against each other to the bottom, for who can lower taxes the most in a bid to attract talent & big business, these amenities could be something we all could have, while still maintaining a competitive business environment. In places like the States, income taxes on the wealthiest used to be as high as 94%, & corporations 53%, so it’s possible even for them to fund a good health care system.
There needs to be a balance of course with how much wealthy individuals are taxed, be through income or capital gains so that some can invest in economically ambitious goals, and successfully achieve them. Elon Musk is a testament to that in action, but taxes on the wealthy & businesses at their current levels, according to Warren Buffet, are too low in the USA.
If you look at some of the most successful technology companies in Silicon Valley, they invest in employee health, down to the food they eat, because they know it pays off for their business. How long will it take some other countries to realize things like education and health care are a better long term investment in the nation’s prosperity than shortchanging them?
Food
The best part about having such a variety of people , is that we have the entire world’s cuisine in our backyard. One need not travel far to enjoy global, world class food, especially in the dense, diverse urban centers. My favorites are Toronto, ON; Montreal, QC; & Vancouver BC. I would like to see this industry continue to grow and gain recognition.
Politics
One of the big things that makes our political system better, is we separate religion from politics. We don’t put up monuments of a particular religion on our legislature lawns. Our laws are generally made to not favour one particular religionn over another, even if that religion/non-religion were to hold a strong majority.
We elect local representatives municipally, provincially, and federally to represent us in the lower chambers. In our provincial & federal legislatures, elected representatives will caucus together, and the leader of the largest party will often become the leader of the country or their respective provinces.
Senators in the upper chamber are appointed, and increasingly as non-partisans. Legislation passes through the senate before receiving Royal assent, where it falls to the Queen of England to sign. In her stead in Canada, the Governor General (appointed by her) assumes these duties, who for the most part fulfills a ceremonial role.
I would like to see us move towards a fairer voting system like virtually all other developed countries have who are able to maintain functioning, stable governments. This is because it ensures a level playing field for voters and candidates of all demographics. Possible proportional representation (PR) systems include Mixed-Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) and Single Transferable Vote (STV). Our current First Past The Post (FPTP) or the slightly less horrible Alternative Vote (AV) give an unfair advantage to the most dominant demographic, which is currently white, Christian, men in centrist parties. In order to have any credibility to claiming oneself as a feminist, you need to support
Reflection
Even though I admire certain aspects of other countries, I have to recognize that it would not be feasible for everyone to immigrate. So instead, I look at things that I like, and try to figure out how I can apply them to my own home here in Canada. Similarly, it is not be feasible for Canada everyone who looks up to Canada, to move here. People should look to their existing communities and see how they can make them better.
Get involved in your local government. Volunteer. Treat others who are different than you with equal kindness and respect that you would want from them. Sometimes, something as simple, as please, and thank you can make all the difference.
Further Resources
Shane Koyczan — We Are More (Define Canada)
Mike Myers | Canada Pride
Why Canadians Say “Eh”
How to be a Canadian
CBC Music — Great Big Sea Live Concert
One of my favorite Canadian bands
